Iran rejects accusations Houthis targeted Mecca, suggests it could be 'false flag' operation

Iran’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs spokesperson Esmaeil Baghaei condemned on Thursday any aggression against Islamic holy sites, particularly Mecca, but pointed out that "a mere claim" of intercepting a drone is not enough to accuse the Houthis of the act. In a post to X, Baghaei emphasised "the necessity of preventing the politicization of the issue of Islamic sanctities and their security, and of not using it as a tool to incite strife and escalate regional tensions".